The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-08-26
THE TIMBER SUPPLY.
The Districts Adjacent to the River Above
Astoria.

On or near the river on the Oregon
side above Astoria for a distance of
forty miles there are many fine ranges
OF timber. In fact, the whole region
is covered with one continuous for
est. To visitor there seems no ra-
tionality in the custom which speaks
Of localities as districts since all to-
gether form one district with rarely a
dividing line. But each stream along
which logging is prosecuted, gives its
name to a district" 1t should be
understood that all of these districts
draw from the same general body Of
timber. The first district above As
toria (that is the first navigable
stream) is John Days river, short
distance above Tongue Point. This
stream is nsvigable for small steam
ers and RATS four miles from its
junction with the Columbia, and
reaches into the heart OF magnifi-
cent yellow fir district. At this time
there is one camp on the John Day.
Its product, this year will be about
100000 feet (this is the average out
put OF q camp and it will have about
four more years timber supply avail
able for skid-road work. Further
away from water within a radius OF
five miles there is prodigious
quantity of timber, millions upon
millions OF feet. To get it out will
require railroad Of cheap construc.
ton.
The next district is that of Bear
river and Farras creek, nine miles
east Of Astoria, where two camps are
now operating. Here, it is estimated,
there is four million feet of yellow fir
available, like the remote supply In
the John Day district, only by the
use of rails.
At Minniker's slough mile further
up stream, there is a supply OF from
six to seven million feet available for
skids.
At Bear creek, a mile further up
stream, there is a fine supply of logs,
one camp being employed in getting
them out. AT this place logs are
hauled to the creek in summer and
run down to the river during the
winter floods. The creek is very
large and logs have been driven for
twelve miles. The available timber
supply here is prodigious, simply in
calculable by the ordinary methods
OF computation. For twenty miles
the stream passes through majestic
forests and with the aid OF
steam and rails many millions
Tor perhaps it would do to say billions
OF feet could be brought out. The
prevailing timber here is fir, but in
the bottom lands near the river there
are extensive bodies of spruce.
A bigger district than any of those
yet mentioned is that OF Knappa
slough, about fifteen miles from
Astoria. Eleven camps are now op-
Grating along this slough, and the
output of logs will equal that of last
year, 22,0O0,000 feet. There is still a
large body available by skid road,
while for eighteen miles back from
water the trees stand like wheat
stalks in a field, awaiting the con-
struction of railroads before they can
be brought out. AS 10 the quantity,
| nobody can more than guess; but it
will easily run into the billions OF
feet.
The Westport district further east
is even larger than that OF Knappa,
and logging is pursued here in q
wholesale way. 1t is estimated q
good 100000 feet of fir, spruce and
cedar yet remains available for skids,
while an almost unbroken forest ex-
tends inland for twenty miles. 1t
would be idle to estimate quantities,
for no estimate could be more than a
guess. The bulk of this great district
is easily available by railroad.
The limits of what in general terms
may be called the Astoria district on
the Oregon side of the river, is Clats-
kanine, forty miles. Here, as else
where, there is an abundant supply,
the country hereabout being es-
pecially rich in cedar.
Anything like close personal in
spection Of this extensive forest belt
would be practically impossible.
There is perhaps no one person who
has actually seen il all from the
river back to the high mountains,
and no careful survey to estimate the
quantity of standing timber has ever
been made. 1t is known, however.
to be enormous, running into the
many billions of feet. A man who
has been in all the camps and who
has ranged over all the country be-
tween Astoria and Clatskanine and as
far back as three miles from the
river, estimates that the supply
available for skids is from 0,000, 900
to 100, 100000 of feet. For railroads,
the supply is incalculable.-"A. H."
an OreOOnid7